Problem going into Low Gear- dies?

jchochole

jchochole

Senior Member
Gents,
I had an odd issue today, just getting the T going after a few months with a new manifold and gaskets, car runs rough and sounds like a bad lawn mover engine, when I go from standing still in neutral and push the handbrake forward, the engine wants to die and it takes some quick gas acceleleration to keep her going, I am also getting sooty stuff from the tailpipe, so I adjusted my carb float.

Why would my car want to stall with the handbrake going forward? Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jim from IL
 
Sounds like you have a major vacuum leak on your intake manifold. What sort of gaskets did you use when you re-installed them?
 
Are you holding it in neutral with the pedal when you release the handbrake? And does it die when pushing the pedal into low?
 
1. I used the rings and copper glands.
2. Yes, it sputters and dies when I just go into low with the rod about 1" advanced down from retarded, I have to give it fast gas to keep her going.
4. This happens with the hand-brake vertical in neutral, just starting out in low gear.

Jim from IL
 
Did you straighten out that handbrake problem you posted earlier? Does the car roll, or can you push it easily with the handbrake vertical? If your emergency brakes are still locking or very tight this could be your problem. Soot from the tailpipe usually means a very rich mixture. Check your carb/dash adjustment. About 1 1/4 turns out for starters then adjust for best running when warm. Make sure your choke is opening fully. The plugs may also be carboned up. Check them, clean them and reset the gap to 25 thousandths. Report back.
 
Got the brake all set, made my own rods and got them lengthened just right. I can push or pull the car in neutral easily. I also had a slight bit of exhaust popping out of a port this afternoon. I ended up taking off the glands and left the steel rings on and added a double layer of fibre two-in-one exhaust gaskets.

Do folls think that ought to work? 2-layers of fiber gaskets and steel rings in the ports.

Thanks,
Jim from IL
 
As long as the rings are long enough to where no fiber is exposed to exhaust you might be ok. I had popping back thru the tailpipe. Thought it was valves. Put capacitors in the coils and had them set up on an HCCT tester. No more popping back. Must vale been double sparking.
 
I tried 2-sets of fiber gaskets & steel rings and had too many air leaks and couldn't keep it runnning, so I went back to steel rings and 1 set of fiber gaskets and still it ran poorly- chugging and choking just to get it started. I took off the manifold and tested it with a metal straight edge and it is true- all ports line up and are straight.

What are the chances that I need steel rings, copper gaskets and a fiber 3-in-1 gasket as well to compensate? I have an old intake manifold, I didn't suspect it leaks that bad- but could that be an issue?

Plus, I am using old manifold studs and nuts, many of the nuts are rusted solidly onto the threads and a few manifold clamps are bent outward from years of being tight, so when I am clamping down the manifolds- perhaps they aren't allowing me to torque down tightly enough?

Thanks,
Jim from IL
 
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Got it! I added a 3-in-1 gasket and copper glands and steel rings and sealed her up! Now when I fire her up she runs better- but still sounds like a bad lawn mower: lots of popping in the muffler and dies when I depress the low gear pedal to begin moving forward. I swapped out my timer and now have a Ford standard roller type, I had a Tiger on it before and no change.

1. pops and misfires while she runs.
2. engine dies when starting out in low gear (handbrake in neutral vertical)

Any ideas? Timing or bad coils?

Thanks guys,
Jim
 
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Jchochole, I had some of the same problems a while back, I had several extra coils laying around so I chgd them around for a while then threw a couple of rebuilts into the pot which helped. But now I think I need to seal up the intake with a set of new gland rings. 50 of one and a hundred of the other. Good luck, Monte
 
Sounds like you are not running on all Cylinders... It will idle and yes sound like a crap lawnmower... when you put it under load you do not have enough power from the cylinders that are firing to get going... next time you are idling the engine take an insulated screw driver and from the head ground the screw driver to the block and make a connection with the side of the spark plug wire connector to see if you are getting spark... this is an easy test to find out what cylinder is not firing...

Remember to use an insulated Screw Driver or you will be on the Floor :eek:
 
Turns out my #1 plug wasn't firing...doh! Pulled em out and had them spark to the head and nothing- the wire to the coilbox was kinked funny and shorted to the lid I suspect. So I flipped the connector over and it fired reliably in the new position.

Thanks to all! You fellers are great!!!
 
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